SEMA 2013: Chevrolet Debuts 2014 COPO Camaro

Chevy's stripped-down Camaro drag racer returns.

We’ve heard plenty about the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and the revised 2014 Chevrolet Camaro portfolio, but there’s one 2014 Camaro variant we hadn’t heard about until now. Chevy’s fittingly using the 2013 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association show to debut the new 2014 Chevrolet COPO Camaro, its latest drag-prepped race car.

Although the 2014 COPO Camaro gains new front and rear fascias to match the restyled 2014 Camaro lineup, the premise behind Chevy’s NHRA-special remains unchanged. COPO Camaros begin life on the same assembly line in Oshawa, Ontario, as any other Camaro, but its body assembly is stripped of sound deadener, sealant, interior trim, and fitted with a chrome-moly tube steel roll cage. That basic body-in-white is then shipped to a facility in Michigan, where it’s built into a completed race car, complete with a solid rear axle. 2014 COPO Camaros are essentially turn-key racers for both the NHRA’s Stock Eliminator or Super Stock categories, but they’re hardly street-legal vehicles – a fact emphasized by their lack of a vehicle identification number.

Along with the new exterior styling, the 2014 COPO Camaro gains a new racing seat, updated exterior graphics, and a new wheel design. Buyers will be able to choose from four engine offerings, including a naturally aspirated 350 cubic-inch V-8, a naturally aspirated 396 cubic-inch V-8, a revised naturally aspirated 427-cubic-inch V-8, or a 350 cubic-inch V-8 paired with a 2.9-liter Whipple screw-type supercharger. All engines are hand-assembled in GM’s performance engine facility in Wixom, Michigan. If you’re so inclined, Chevy is more than happy to sell you all four engines to go along with your 2014 COPO Camaro, each wearing a serial number matching the car itself.

As was the case last year, only 69 COPO Camaros will be built for the 2014 model year. Demand is expected to far outstrip supply, so Chevrolet will once again turn to an external third party to hold a lottery and select customers. Interested parties need to indicate their interest by registering at www.chevroletperformance.com. Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect the 2014 COPO Camaro to ring in just north of the 2013 model, which started at $86,000.

Of course, if you’re willing to pony up quite a bit more, you can own the car shown here, which is the first of the 69 2014 COPO Camaros to be built. GM says this car, which wears an exclusive paint color designed to match the 2015 Silverado 3500 COPO Hauler concept, will be the only example built wearing ice blue paint. This car will be sold to the highest bidder at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in January, with all proceeds benefiting the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans.

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